[ ARC forum 2 ]

Stuck!

Written by Paul B. at 01 May 2003 23:13:58:

As an answer to: adhesion? written by Monica at 01 May 2003 20:43:00:

> My son is not circumcized and was able to pull back his foreskin completely at around one.

Mmmmm, I'm sure you may have picked up the rather perverse way of looking at his status as "not circumcised", but most of us here prefer the simpler and more correct summary as "intact". "Not circumcised" has the exact same implications as "not tattooed" or "lacking in piercings", if you see the semantic point.

Actually, the ability to pull one's foreskin back at the age of one year seems to me quite an impressive feat of co-ordination! Normally, it is at least 18 months.

The question here, is whether you are saying that his foreskin could be retracted completely at age one to reveal the whole of the corona (flare at the back of the glans) and he has subsequently developed an adhesion - which is most unlikely if he was in the habit of pulling it back himself, or whether you are saying that it appeared to be able to be pulled back all the way without discomfort at the age of one, but now that you happened to have tried it out again at 3½, you see that it actually cannot?

> He is now 3 1/2 and we discovered that his foreskin is sticking in one place to his glans, and there is a white spot underneath it.

Sounds normal. The "white spot" is the famed "smegma", a somewhat evocative term for a build-up of skin layers that is unable to escape from underneath the adherent part, just as it builds up in the umbilicus (navel; belly button) if you forget to clean in there.

> There is no swelling, and it doesn't seem to cause him pain.

In brief, you are saying there is actually nothing wrong; this is something you just happened across because you became curious and asked him to show you.

> The doctor told us to give him baths three times a day

A most odd suggestion. Still, if the lad likes this, I suppose it would be OK. Are you a "bath" family? I must confess, we tend to shower instead and that's what the kids have always done.

> and pull back as much as we can in the warm water, and said it should release in about a week.

And it might do. Or might not. But unless the boy enjoys you doing that, I'd think it a better idea to teach him that he needs to pull his foreskin back every time he pees, and give him the clear suggestion that it should come back, and it's up to him to keep pulling on it, and to tell you as soon as it comes loose because you'll celebrate. Also that if it gets sore from pulling, you have some special cream (I suggest Zinc Ointment, as used for nappy/ diaper rash) to put on it.

> She didn't have a name for this,

So why is your post titled with the term "adhesion"? This describes an attachment that has occurred but was not present before. Otherwise the term is "synechiae".

> and I certainly have never heard of this.

So why is your post titled with the term "adhesion"?

> Does anyone know what this is, and is this an appropriate treatment?

Well, it's one approach. Approaches vary from the doctor simply pulling it loose in the surgery, applying some of the cream, and (most important part,) giving the youngster a particularly delicious chocolate reward; to my more conservative advice of telling the youngster that it's up to him to pull it loose by trying a little every time he pees (makes it easier, as he will usually have an erection when he pees) and he'll get a reward (same chocolate) when he shows that he's done it.


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